SMRT Bus Service 985

SMRT Bus Service 985 is a trunk route between Choa Chu Kang Interchange and Lorong 1 Geylang Terminal, passing through Teck Whye, Bukit Batok West, Bukit Batok, Jln Jurong Kechil, PIE, Jln Toa Payoh and Boon Keng Road.

Service 985 serves the new Choa Chu Kang Bus Interchange from 16 December 2018.

Technical Information
Route	Choa Chu Kang Bus Interchange ↔ Lorong 1 Geylang Bus Terminal
Passes Through	Teck Whye, Bukit Batok West, Bukit Batok, Jln Jurong Kechil, PIE, Jln Toa Payoh, Boon Keng Road
Route Length	25.7 km (D1) | 26.0 km (D2)
Travelling Time	75 mins
Operator Information
BCM Route Package	Choa Chu Kang – Bukit Panjang Bus Package
Current Operator	SMRT Buses Ltd
Current Depot	Bulim Bus Depot (BUDEP)
Current Fleet	12-metre Double Deck Bus: – MAN A95 – Volvo B9TL 12-metre Single Deck Bus: – Mercedes-Benz OC500LE
Departure Times from Choa Chu Kang	0530 – 2330 (Daily)
Departure Times from Lor 1 Geylang	0545 – 2330 (Daily)
Frequency	Direction 1	Direction 2
	0630-0830: 08 – 10 mins 0831-1659: 09 – 11 mins 1700-1900: 11 mins After 1900: 11 – 12 mins	0630-0830: 09 – 10 mins 0831-1659: 09 – 13 mins 1700-1900: 10 mins After 1900: 11 – 12 mins

Service 985 is an inter-town trunk route linking housing estates around Choa Chu Kang / Teck Whye, Bukit Batok and Jln Jurong Kechil with the Central areas of Boon Keng and Kallang, incorporating an express sector along the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) between Jln Jurong Kechil and Jln Toa Payoh.

The route compliments Service 190 and 975 for the Choa Chu Kang – Teck Whye stretch and Service 188 for the Choa Chu Kang – Bt Gombak stretch. It also plies between Bukit Batok – Jalan Toa Payoh along the PIE, providing a slightly longer alternative route for passengers who would otherwise rely on Express 506.

Demand for this route remains moderate throughout the day and operates at generally low frequencies, with comparably higher demand during peak hours. Double-Decker bus deployments started since 13 Jul 2015, and articulated buses do appear on the route once in a while.

MRT / LRT Stations Served:

• NS2 Bukit Batok
• NS4BP1 Choa Chu Kang
• EW10 Kallang
• NE9 Boon Keng
• DT5 Beauty World

Special Departures:

• Choa Chu Kang Road (Blk 26) → Choa Chu Kang Int
  Weekdays/Sat: 0520hrs, 0535hrs, 0550hrs, 0605hrs
  Sun/PHs: 0530hrs, 0545hrs, 0600hrs, 0615hrs

Fare: Charges basic distance fares. See Bus Fares.

Gallery:

Operator History:

• 2003 – 2004: Trans-Island Bus Services Ltd
• 2004 – Present: SMRT Buses Ltd

The Bus Service Operating License (BSOL) for this route will be renewed in 2023 under the Choa Chu Kang – Bukit Panjang Bus Package.

History:

• 2003 (27 Jul): Introduced after the merger of Services 185 and 989, running between Choa Chu Kang Int and Lor 1 Geylang Ter.
• 2006 (30 Apr): Amended to serve Bt Batok West Ave 5 & 7 instead of Bt Batok Rd & Bt Batok West Ave 7. Deleted sector between Bt Batok Rd & Bt Batok West Ave 7 was re-introduced as Service 985W on 15th Oct 2006, but subsequently withdrawn on 13th Oct 2007.
• 2012 (15 Nov): Designated wheelchair-accessible bus route (WAB)
• 2015 (13 Jul): Start of double decker deployments
• 2018 (16 Dec): Calls at relocated Choa Chu Kang Bus Interchange.

Past Routings:

• Refer to this article
• 2006: Amended to present routing. No significant route changes since 2006.